NSES Content Standard A 
Science as Inquiry: Understanding about scientific inquiry
Grades 9-12, page 175

Scientists usually inquire about how physical, living, or designed systems function. Conceptual principles and knowledge guide scientific inquiries. Historical and current scientific knowledge influence the design and interpretation of investigations and the evaluation of proposed explanations made by other scientists.
 

 
Benchmark 1B The Nature of Science: Scientific Inquiry
Grades 9-12, page 13
Hypotheses are widely used in science for choosing what data to pay attention to and what additional data to seek, and for guiding the interpretation of the data (both new and previously available).